An assistant professor at Delhi University’s Dyal Singh College allegedly made derogatory remarks in a post on Facebook. The post was put out a day into Navratri - a nine-day Hindu festival celebrated in honour of goddess Durga

A 3D plastic representation of the Facebook logo is seen in this illustration. (REUTERS)

Delhi Police has begun a probe against a Delhi University teacher for allegedly insulting Hindu goddess Durga in a Facebook post.

Kedal Kumar Mandal, an assistant professor with Dyal Singh College, made the alleged derogatory remarks in a post he put out on Friday, a day into the Navratri festival, a nine-day celebration in honour of Durga.

Mandal removed the post after the National Democratic Teachers Front (NDTF) filed a police complaint against him.

“We will summon him to join investigation. A case has been registered. No one has been arrested yet,” a police officer told Hindustan Times on Sunday.

HT tried to reach Mandal for his comments but his cellphone was switched off.

Police have registered a case against Mandal for hurting religious sentiments (Section 295A of the Indian Penal Code) and promoting enmity between different groups on basis of religion (Section 153A).

A police officer said they would write to Facebook to access Mandal’s post, which was last updated at 6.42pm on Friday.

“Mandal has provoked sentiments during a festival time of Hindu --- Navratri,” the RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarathi Parishad said in a statement. The Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh is the ideological parent of the BJP.

In their complaint to the Lodhi Colony station house officer, NDTF president and general secretary accused Mandal of spreading hatred and disharmony. “….Not only in India but goddesses Durga is being celebrated across the world at this time. It is not difficult to fathom what could be the consequences of such a post,” they said.